WROCLAW, POLAND — As devastating floods sweep across Central Europe, killing at least 24 people and causing billions of dollars in damage, Poland’s historic city of Wroclaw has largely been spared, thanks in part to a remarkable public mobilization driven by social media. Residents have come together to build walls of sandbags to protect the city from rising floodwaters.
Kamil Karpinski, a 35-year-old social media producer, shifted the focus of his popular accounts—normally dedicated to lifestyle content—towards organizing volunteer efforts. His Instagram and Facebook pages, followed by nearly 600,000 people, have become crucial platforms for coordinating flood relief efforts.
Through these social media channels, people are offering resources, tools, and their time to help safeguard the city. Volunteers like Patrycja Rozmus, a 26-year-old IT recruiter, took time off work to help fill and tie sandbags at Wroclaw’s Tarczynski Arena. “People are afraid, but they are uniting and helping as much as they can,” she said.
Dozens of residents and volunteers from surrounding areas have gathered at the arena, working around the clock to prepare and distribute sandbags to threatened neighborhoods. “There are always people willing to help,” said Marcin Janiszewski, spokesperson for Tarczynski Arena and coordinator of flood-related activities.
The floods, caused by torrential rains, have wreaked havoc across Central Europe, submerging cars, destroying bridges, and leaving towns covered in mud. In response, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during a visit to Wroclaw, pledged 10 billion euros in aid for Poland and other affected countries.
Among the volunteers was Irina Szymanska, a 40-year-old estate agent from Ukraine who has lived in Wroclaw for six years. “We are all human beings, and in a difficult situation, you always have to help. I feel an international brotherhood here,” she said, expressing the shared solidarity of the city’s residents.